Cedar chest



A ril 23, 1935. J. WEBER 1,998,600

CEDAR CHEST Filed Feb. 21, 1954 7 12;; l 1 4/? h WM 1'. 1 A i L A 8 X 8k 3/ 4 3 I 7 v 7 5 l Q g flnnzntnr I m.

Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES CEDAR CHEST John Weber, Milton, Pa,assignor to 'West Branch Novelty Company, Milton, Pa.

Application February 21, 1934, Seria l No. 712,409

4 Claims.

This invention relates to cedar chests and more particularly to a newand novel construction of dust strip' whereby an air cushioningeifect'is produced by the sudden closing of the lid and objectionableslamming of the lid upon the chest is avoided. 1

It is also an object of the invention to provide a dust strip adapted tocooperate with the walls of the chest in sucha way as to take advantagein of certain irregularities of contour which are present in the mostcarefully constructed chests, thereby to further assist in preventingthe lid from slamming.

No matter how carefully a cedar chest may be constructed .certainirregularities of contour will be present in the upper edgesof the wallson completion or will occur as a result of atmospheric conditionsfollowing the completion of the chest. Where a channeled dust strip isused it is practically impossible to so place the strip as to accuratelymatch the walls under all conditions. Dust strips having channels havebeen used but in every case they have been made with channels ofexcessive widths in order to allow for the variations referred to and,in order to eiiect the desirable sealing of the chest or produce a tightfit between the parts it has been the practice generally to usecushioning elements .of metal, rubber or the like. Aside from the factthat these have added greatly to the cost. of the chest, thesecushioning means, if made of metals, have also been objectionablebecause they tend to accumulate a gummy residue deposited by the cedarfumes within the chest and which, if 5 brought into contact withgarments, will stain them and bediificult to remove. Furthermore wherechannels of excessive widths are used a desirable cushioning effect bythe trapped air within the chest is prevented because the air can escapetoo freely when the lid is closed.

It is an object of the present invention to prov vide the lid of a cedarchest with 'a dust strip having a channel the walls'of which convergeupwardly, the narrowest space between these walls being but slightlygreater than the thickness of the walls of the chest. Thus when the lidis dropped to closed position the air in the path thereof will betrapped not only within the chest but also within the channel. It canescape 5O solely laterally and forwardly from under the lid and, as thechanneled dust strip gradually moves into position to straddle the wallsthroughout the length of the channel, the air will be further trappedand can escape solely by following a tortuous path over the walls. Thispath is gradually reduced as the inclined walls of the channel comecloser to the top edges of the walls. Fhis. choking action increases thecushioning effect to a considerable extent and has greatly reduced theslamming action of lids'not provided with dust strips similarlyconstructed.

It is a .further object to provide the channel inthe dust strip withinclined walls so that-any portion of either wall can act as a deflectorand retarding means should it come into contact with any part'of thewell not properly matched with the dust strip, thereby'serving as afurther means for resisting the slamming of the lid when dropped ontothe'chest.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will. appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a chestshowing its lid partlyraised.

'Figure 2' is a bottom plan view of the lid, a portion being brokenaway.

Figure .3 is atransverse section through portions of the lid and chestshowing the relative positions of the chest walls and dust strip at onepoint during the closing of the lid. 7

Figure 4 is a view through aportion of one of the walls and the adjacentpart of-the 'lid showing the action of the dust strip as a retardingmeans where the wall and dust strip are not accurately matched.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the positions of theparts when the lid is finally seated onthe chest.

Referring to the figures by characters of ref-- erence l designates acedar chest having hinges 2 for joining it to a lid 3. To the bottom ofthe lid along the edge portions thereof is secured a dust strip 4 havinga continuous channel 5 the inner wall of which is of a widthsubstantially equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the topedges 6 of the chest walls 1. The inner and outer walls 8 ofthe channel5 converge toward the inner wall of the channel as shown and either ofthese Walls can act as a deflector should it come into rubbing contactwith any part of the chest while the lid is being closed.

= and outwardly from the channel.

As has already been stated it is practically impossible, in a cedarchest, to provide a grooved dust strip on the lid which will accuratelymatch the walls of the chest under all conditions. Consequently, wherechanneled dust strips have been used the channels have been made ofexcessive widths and this has been objectionable because the chest hasnot been properly sealed against the admission of dust or the escape offumes. Furthermore the dust strip has not had any function as an airtrapping medium or as a cushioning element.

For the purpose of improving upon structures thus far produced thepresent devices has been evolved after long experimental use. It hasbeen discovered that by providing a channel which is taperedsubstantially as shown a correct sealing action is not only obtainedbetween the lid and the walls of the chest but a double cushioningeffect is produced should the lid be dropped to closed position. Onecushioning eilect results from the trapping of air while the otherresults from the wiping action of one or more of the walls of the duststrip upon those portions of the walls of the chest which do notproperly match with the channel. Y i

I When the lid is dropped the air thereunder seeks to escape past theedges of the lid. This escape will be retarded where the walls are firststraddled by the dust strip and as the lid continues to move downwardlythe escape of the air will be increasingly retarded by the increasedarea of the straddled portions of the walls until ultimately all of thewalls will be straddled through' out their lengths. When theair seeks toescape past the straddled portions of the walls it must of necessityfollow a tortuous path up into the channel, over the wall and thencedownwardly The freedom of how in this manner is gradually reduced by themovement of the tapered walls toward the adjacent edges of the chestwalls. Thus the air under the lid is gradually trapped or confined andat the same time air within the channel is 1 which otherwise wouldoccur.

forced in part longitudinally of the channel, thereby producing acushion which, in conjunction with the air trapped under the lid andwithin the chest, will prevent the abrupt slamming As the dust stripmoves into position astride the walls of the chest some part of one ormore of the inclined walls of the channel will come against one or moreof the edges of the top surfaces of the chest walls with the result thatwiping action will occur between these contact parts and effect agradual frictional retard which further serves to prevent slamming.

When the lid is brought ultimately to its closed position the walls ofthe chest will be fitted snugly against the inner walls of the channelwith the inclined walls of said channel extending close thereto andefiecting an efiicient seal.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a cedar chest, of a lid hingedly connectedthereto, and a dust strip upon the bottom of the lid and of the samematerial as the lid, said strip having a channel the side walls of whichconverge upwardly to the inner wall of the channel, said inner wallbeing of a width substantially equal to the thickness of the chest wallsand constituting a seat therefor, the upwardly converging side walls ofthe channel being disposed at such a pitch as to retard the escape ofair from between the walls of the channel and the walls of the chestduring the abrupt closing of the lid.

2. The combination with a cedar chest, of an all-wood sealing andcushioning means therefor including a lid hingedly connected thereto, adust strip on the lid having a continuous channel for receiving theupper edges of the walls of the chest, the walls of the channelconverging toward the inner wall thereof and constituting means foreffecting a wiping contact with any portions of the walls of the chestnot accurately matched with the inner wall of the channel, the minimumdistance between the walls of the channel being substantially equal tothe thickness of the walls entering the channel, the upwardly convergingside walls of the channel being disposed at such a pitch as to retardthe escape of air from between the walls of the channel and the walls ofthe chest during the abrupt closing of the lid.

3. The combination with a cedar chest, of a wooden lid hingedlyconnected thereto and combined sealing and cushioning means carried byand of the same material as the lid, said means including a dust striphaving a continuous channel for receiving the upper edges of the wallsof the chest, the sides of the channel converging toward the inner wallthereof and constituting means for effecting a wiping contact with anyportions of the walls of the chest not accurately matched with the innerwall of the channel, the upwardly converging side walls of the channelbeing disposed at such a pitch as to retard the escape of air frombetween the walls of the channel and the walls of the chest during theabrupt closing of the lid, the width of the inner wall of the channelbeing substantially equal to the width of the top edges of the chestwalls contacted thereby.

4. The combination with a cedar chest, of a wooden lid hingedlyconnected thereto and having a continuous channel for receiving theupper edges of the walls of the chest when the lid is closed, the topwall of the channel being of substantially the same width as the upperedges of the chest walls, the walls of the channel converging upwardlyand being disposed at such a pitch as to retard the downward escape ofair from between the lid and chest walls, thereby to provide an aircushion between said walls and the lid during the rapid closing of thelid.

JOHN WEBER.

